Printing-press.



F. W. PORSHALL. Y

PRINTING PRESS. nrmoumn 11.31) bno. 14,1901.

909,776. Patented M112, 1909.

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P. W. FORSHKLL. PRINTING- PRESS. urmonxon nun 11110.14, 1eo'i.-

909,776. Patented Jam 12, 1909.

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F. W. PORSHALL.

PRINTING PRESS.

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Patented Jan. 12,1909

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed December 1%, 1907. Serial No. 406,456.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnnnro WV. Fon- SHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to job printing presses and more particularly to presses of the automatic type.

T 10 invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in use and composed of comparatively few parts.

A still further object of the invention is the employment of a platen having means for feeding the sheets to'be printed one after another into cooperative relation with the'fonn, said means'including nippers or clamping devices which automatically grip the sheets to convey to the form and release the sheets at a suitable point after printing.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter nd set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invcntionz Figure 1 is a side view of the press. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section thereof, showing the platen in printing position. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the platen in a position to receive the sheet from the feeding mechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the platen and sheet conveying means thereon. Fig. 5 is a side view of the platen partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the press.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding-parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the frame of the press which may be of any desired construction and suitably mounted thereon is a'driving shaft 1 having a pulley 2 whereby the shaft can be driven from a suitable source of power and on the shaft is a fly wheel 3. Power is taken from the shaft 1 through pinions 4, that mesh with central gear wheels 5 on the shaft 5, and each wheel 5 meshes at diametrically opposite points with gear wheels 6 and 7 on the ends of the shafts 8 and 9. Disposed above the shaft 5 are vertical guideways 10 formed in any suitable manner on the sides of the frame a and extending from one guide to the other is a shaft 11 having its ends projecting from the guideways and mounted in plates 12. These plates are moved ver tically with the shaft and serve as supports for the inking rolls 13, which latter move back and forth over the form (not shown) that is mounted in the bed 14 of the press in any approved manner. The ends of the shaft 11 are connected with wheels 5 by connecting rods 15 whereby the rotation of the said wheels causes the inking rolls to move up and down. On the bed 1% is a movable reservoir 16 for containing the ink. This reservoir has a tongue 17- at its bottom that engages in a horizontal groove 1'4", as shown Figs. 2 and 3, and rests at its rear on stops l8.

The front wall 19 of the reservoir has parallel longitudinal slots 20 through which slightly protrude feed rolls 21 that are adapted to contact with the inking rolls as the latter moves up and down, so as to supply ink from the reservoir to the inking rolls. These rollers 21 are in frictional con tact so that they will rotate together. On the journal of one of the rolls is a ratchet wheel (not shown) that is connected by a spring pressed pawl on the inking roll oarriage so that as the carriage moves down wardly the pawl will engage the ratchet wheel and partially rotate one of the ink feeding rolls which in turn will rotate the other roll. In this manner the rolls are rotated and carry ink outwardly so as to be transferred to the inking rolls 13. The reservoirs are employed so that they can be readily cleaned and also to permit reservoirs containing different ink to be readily interchanged, it being merely necessary to clean the inking rolls when it is desired to change from one color of ink to the other.

Directly in front of the beds of the press wheel 7, so that as the latter rotates the platen 28 will be reciprocated in a horizontal direction. Thls platen 1s of rectangular through the said guide ways 32.

form in cross section and is provided with a feeding device for bringing the sheets, cards or envelope or the like to be printed into position in front of the printing form.

This feeding or conveying device comprises a pair of chains 29 at the ends of the platen, Figsfil to 5 inclusive, that run over rollers 30 suitably mounted on the platen. The ends of the platen are provided with marginal flanges 31 each of which extend along the top and bottom of the platen and along the sides thereof presented to the bed of the press and the inner surface ofthis flange is grooved so as to provide a way 32, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5.' At four points the chains 29 are connected by rods 33 on which are mounted the jaws 34 of the nippers or clamping devices that are adapted to grip the sheets or other work to be printed. These rods are mounted to have rocking movement and on the ends thereof are segmental gears and 36, whereby both rods of each set will cause the jaws ed to open together. Thegears 36 are provided with extensions or shoes 37 which engage in the way 32 and cause the clamps to tightly hold the sheets while the shoes are traveling At the discharge end 38 of each guide way is an offset, as shown at the lower left hand corner of Fig. 5, that permits the shoes to move when this point is reached.

Each pair of rods 33 is provided with an extension spring 39 that connects with the lugs 40 projecting from the rods, so thatthe springs tend to hold the j'ws 34 open.

\Vhile the shoes 37 are confined in or moved through the guideways 52, the jaws" are closed and the springs 37 extended and by the time a shoereaches the offset or recess 38, the jaws will be sprung open by means of the spring 39 thereof, so as to thereby release the work. As shown in Fig. 5, the jaws at the upper left hand corner are open and in readiness to grip the sheet ll to be printed and in order to cause the jaws to grip the said sheet, a hook-shaped abutment 42 is arranged on the frame A at a point to engage the outstanding lugs .43 on the links that carry the rods 83, so that at the outer ends of the return stroke of the platen 38, the chains 29 will be given a slight movement sutlicient to move the shoes 27 into the entrances of the guideways 32. At the entrance of each guideway 32, is a hump 4st that engages the shoes 37 and causes the jaws to quickly snap closed. After a sheet is gripped by the jaws, the platen is moved forwardly to print the sheet that isheld in the jaws 3% at the lower right hand corner of the platen. During the forward stroke of the platen, the chains 29 move freely under gravitating dogs 4-5 mounted on the frame a at a point above the platen. Upon the return stroke of the platen, the dogs 45 will engage the chains 29 or suitable parts carried thereby and cause the chains to move quarter way around the platen so as to bring the next sheet into proper position for printing. Each time the chains are moved a step, the clamping jaws that hold the printed sheetv are opened as the shoes 37 spring into the recesses 38. This releasing of the sheet occurs when the platen is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, and the sheets drop into a receptacle 45 mounted on the frame at a point below the platen. The dogs 45 are pivoted at 47 and movement with the.

platen is prevented by stops 48. The receptacle 46 is supported on ledges 49 on which it slides in removing or placing the receptacle. 7

The feeding device F for conveying the sheets or other work to the combined work holder and conveyer mechanism on the platen comprises a bar 50 provided with points 51, which latter are designed to pick up the sheets successively and conduct them to the clamping jaws of the said mechanism on the platen. The ends of the bar 50 are connected with segmental 52 secured to the ends of a shaft 53, the said gears meshing with horizontal racks 54 disposed at the front of the machine. On the shaft are. pinions 55 with which mesh the teeth of the rack bars 56, the said bars being carried on pitmen 57 that are eccentrically connected at 58 on the gear wheels 6. As the wheels 6 rotate, the rack bars are reciprocated and thereby cause the'pinions 55 to turn. This turning of the pins, together with the shaft 53, causes the latter to move laterally by reason of the mutilated gears 52' meshing with the racks By this operation, the pin-carrying bar :30 moves from the picking up position shown in Fig. 2, to the depositing position shown in Fig. 3, and vice versa. The;

work to be printed is arranged on a table T guided Vertically in a suitable frame B arranged in a pile, so as'to be in cooperative pins to pick off the top sheet. For this pur-' pose, the table has a vertical rod 63 which is engaged by coacting dogs 64 and so as to raise the table step by step. The dog 64 is mounted on a lever 66 suitably fulcrumed on the frame B and arranged with its free end in cooperative relation with an eccentric 67 on the shaft 8, therebeing a bolt or set screw I 68 on the said free end of the lever whicht can be adjusted with respect to the eccentric to vary the movement of the lever. By adjusting the said set screw, the upward movement of the table can be accurately regulated for fine or coarse feed, as desired. The lever 66 is pressed. by means of a spring 69 which returns the dog 6% to normal position after the lever is depressed by the eccentric. The dog 65 serves to hold the table from sliding back after the movement of the active dog 64. T he dog 65 is held in gripping position by means of a spring 70 and the outer end of the dog is formed into a handle 71 whereby the dog can be released from the rod 63 for permitting the table to be lowered. To insure easy working of the table T, counterbalance weights 72 are connected with flexible elements 73 that pass over pulleys 74c on the uprights 60 and connect with the table. The feeding apparatus and table-operating device are so timed that the table is moved upwardly step by step in consonance with the strokes of the feeding device F, the up I ward movement of the table being equal to the thickness of the individual sheets, envelops or other work to be printed. Also the movement of the platen is properly t ned with respect to the movement of the feeding device F so as to receive the successive sheets, envelops, cards or the like from the feeding device. A ter the work to be prin ed is placed on the table, the reservoir 16 filled, and the form clamped in the bed let, the press can be started into operation and automatically print the sheets one after another, the only attention required of the operator being to renew the pile of unprinted sheets on the table and re-adjust the latter from time to time.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have dnnribed the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which i n w consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In a press, the combination of a reciprocatory platen, a plurality of flexible elements extending around and movably mounted on the platen, nippers carried by the elements, a dog having its free end arranged to positively grip one of the elements when the platen moves in one direction to move the elements and nippers intermittently, and a fixed pivot on which the dog is suspended with its free end in e ooperative relation with the said element.

2111' a press,"the combinationof a movable platen, a"s heet-carrier extending entirely around the same and movably mount; ed thereon, and a dog disposed adjacent the path Ofthe platen with its free end adapted to positively engage the carrier for holding the same stationary while the platen moves in one direction and past which the carrier freely moves with the platen as the latter travels in the opposite direction.

3. In a press, the combination of a movable platen, a sheet-carrier extending around and movably mounted thereon, a dog having its free end arranged to positively grip the carrier when the platen moves in one direction, means for holding the dog in gripping position, and means supporting the dog so that the latter will ridefreely over the carrier when the platen moves in the other direction.

i. In a press, the combination of a bed, a reciprocatory platen, a mechanism for operating the platen, an endless work carrier mounted entirely on the platen, guiding devices on the platen for the carrier, and means cotiperating with the said mechanism for intermittently advancing the carrier. by the reciprocation of the platen.

5. In a press, the combination of a bed, a reciprocatory platen arranged in cooperative relation with the bed, an endless carrier extending around the platen, nippers supported on the carrier, springs for holding the nippers open, means on the platen for holding the nippers closed during a portion of the travel of the carrier around the platen, and a dog supported at a fixed point to yieldingly bear on the carrier as the platen is moved in one direction and to positively engage the carrier 'as' the platen moves in the opposite direction for moving the nippers step by step around the platen.

6. In a press, the combination of a reciprocatory platen, an automatically-actuated work table, and a feed mechanism between the table and platen, said mechanism comprising a shaft, gears thereon, stationary racks with which the gears engage, pinions on the shaft, reciprocating rack bars meshing with the pinions for actuating the shaft, and means carried by the shaft for conveying the sheets to be printed from the table to the platen.

7. In a press, the combination of a bed, a reciprocating platen, a movable work holder carried by the platen, clamping devices on the holder, means for operating the clamping devices by the movement of the holder independently of the platen for gripping and releasing the work, and a gravity actuated stop for engaging the work holder for producing the necessary relative movement between the platen and holder to bring the work successively in position for print ing and for gripping and releasing the work.

with the endless elements, and means ar ranged to have a yielding engagement with one of the elements as the platen moves on the printing stroke and to have a positive engagement with the element on the return stroke of the platen for moving the elements and work clamping devices step by step on the platen.

9. In a press, the combination of a bed, a platen, endless elements movablearound the platen and carried thereby, work clamping devices connected with the elements, guideways on the platen for automatically opening and closing the devices by the movement of the endless elements, and a dog supported independently of and arranged along the path of the platen for yieldingly engaging one of the elements during movement of the platen in one direction and positively engaging the element during the movement in the opposite direction for causing movement of the said elements.

10. In a press, the combination of a bed, a reciprocatory platen, endless elements movably mounted on the platen and movable therewith, pairs of rock bars connected with the elements, jaws on the bars for gripping the work to be printed, means tending to keep the jaws open, guideways on the platen, shoes carried on the rock bars and engagin in the guideways for closing the jaws, and means arranged adjacent the path of the platen for moving the elements step by step around the platen during the reciprocation of the latter.

11. In a press, the'combination of a bed, a reciprocatory platen, endless elements 'movably mounted on the platen and move able therewith, pairs of rock bars connected with the elements, jaws on the bars for gripping the work to be printed, means tending to keep the jaws open, guideways on the platen, shoes carried on the rock bars and engaging in the guideways for closing the jaws, means for moving the elements step by step to bring the work successively into printing position, and means for stopping the elements prior to the end of the return stroke of the platen to cause the open jaws to close upon the work to be printed.

12. Ina press, the combination of a bed, a

platen, endless elements mounted thereon,

work clamping jaws adapted to be opened and closed by the movement of the elements on the platen, means for automatically moving the elements on the platen at the beginning of the return stroke for successively bringing the pieces of work into printing position, a fixed support for the saidmeans, and a fixed stop for stopping the elements near the end of the return stroke of the platen for closing the jaws on the pieces of work successively fed thereto.

13. In a press, the combination of a platen of box-like form, guideways on the ends thereof extending around three sides, endless chains passing around the platen,.pairs of bars connecting the chains, cooperating jaws on each pair of bars, ears on the bars to cause simultaneous movement, shoes on one of each pair of bars arranged to move through the guideways for holding the jaws closed, and means for opening the jaws'when the shoes pass out of the ideways'. j

14. In a press, the com ination of a fixed bed, a non-rotatable platen movable toward and away from the bed, means for moving the platen, an endless sheet carrier extending around the platen and -movable therewith, means arranged to positively en age the carrier as the platen moves away rom the bed for advancing the carrier to the next printing position, an automatically actuated inking mechanism, a work table, means for automatically moving the table step by step, and a sheet feeding mechanism movable toward the platen as the latter moves backwardly from the bed to meet the platen and deliver a sheet thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIC W. F ORSHALL.

Vitnesses:

RICHARD BARNETT, Gno. L. RAY. 

